Lunacy Fringe
by KrimsonFurey
Summary: Because the only thing more fragile than a woman's heart, is a ninja's sanity. Sakura Haruno walked that fine line, slipped, and didn't regret it.


Sasuke Uchiha was the object of her affection for ten years of her life. It had started out as a simple crush and despite his utter dismissal of her feelings, she fell hard. He was broken and twisted, pain laced in his dark eyes. Contrary to the common basis of attraction his looks didn't draw her in, although he was extremely attractive. Sakura fell in love with his problems. The further he fell into darkness the further she fell in love.

Sakura told herself that she could fix him. She's Tsunade's heir, damnit! She set out to save him from his darkness, to heal his emotional scars. Naivety's sweet caress blinded her to the truth of the world- to Sasuke. At sixteen she still didn't understand, still didn't realize what it meant to "WAKE UP". Killing him would save her, Naruto, and him. Sakura told herself she was a big girl now. A proper medical ninja who could save lives and take them. The moment came and her heart stuttered and she hesitated. A ninja of five years and she hesitated.

Annoying. He'd always called her annoying. Her heart twisted and bled everytime he spoke to her. His voice. His smirk. Oh god, his eyes! Sheer pain and agony corroding his soul. Sakura didn't realize she had her own problems. That darkness swirled inside her own being. The only difference being she was born that way and fought against it for seventeen years. Her own personal brand of darkness stained her mind and tainted her every thought and emotion.

Ino had later elaborated on the mess her mind was after the chuunin exams. She was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder after being made chuunin. Not that it was a big surprise, ninja often contract strange metal diseases. She could still function and so she could handle the battlefield.

Maybe, she could have kept fighting if she hadn't witness Sasuke kill him.

Naruto.

The opposite of Sasuke in every way. The shining example of a warrior therapist. Though, even he held a darkness inside himself. He didn't need healing. Naruto picked up the pieces of his own broken heart and everyone elses. Then he died and her resolve shattered. If she'd known that she cared for him so deeply (loved him, in fact) she'd have held him more. Kissed him, hopefully.

It was their fault. Sakura and Sasuke had killed Naruto. She understood that, now. She asked to join him after that, and killed a red head to prove her resolve. A girl whose eyes reminded her of her own. She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. A flash of lightning had lit upon fearful eyes and thunder muted her last scream, her dying breath. They'd left together in the midst of a growing storm. Rain pelted her cheeks and hid the streaming tears that were white hot.

She followed him for several months after that, tracking the man that Sasuke called brother. And Sakura? She tracked Sasuke. Planning, plotting, and waiting. Everything a ninja was taught. She learned his habits, the extent of his insanity, how far he was capable of pushing himself. The man she once loved turned into a monster. Small hints of his old self surfaced the longer she stayed with his group and proved herself useful. Sakura wondered if he could still be saved, and immediately realized she didn't care.

Meticulous.

Every emotion was perfectly chosen. Every sentence was appropiately placed. Sasuke was oblivious to her surfacing darkness, and deep resentment. No one holds a grudge like Sakura Haruno.

Itachi Uchiha found her two months before Sasuke found him. She didn't know what possessed her to tell him what she planned to do to his brother. He'd attempted to kill her, to capture her in his famous mangekyou. Her darkness was too strong by then and his body and mind were weak from sickness, grief, and guilt. She saw right through him. Saw him for the pacifist he was deep inside, and told him explicitly just what kind of man his brother had become. In return he told her the truth of the massacre, his reasons for leaving Sasuke alive and his hope for Sasuke's future. A selfless man if she ever knew one. Awe-inspiring in his prime she would have guessed.

It was probably what compelled her to save him in the end. When she turned on Sasuke, and saw the look in his eyes before she slashed them, she knew she was embracing all of her darkness. Though Itachi tried to stop her, his sickness had worstened his already battle-weakened condition, and chakra enhanced fist swatted him away like a fly. She took Sasuke's life, for Naruto. Then, all of his darkness corroded her own soul. Her punishment, and she gladly accepted it.

Sakura Haruno had been a rogue ninja for seven months when she showed up at the gates of Konoha, the body of Uchiha Sasuke slung over her shoulder. She was granted an audience with the Hokage immediately. Kakashi Hatake had stared at her for what felt like hours. Her cloak was ragged, her hair choppy and wild, her skin was sickly pale, and her arms and legs were bound by chakra chains. Sakura Haruno was all that was left of the team of promising young genin he had once nurtured to be cold-blooded killers. Eternal proof that pain and suffering was the life of a ninja.

AN: I don't know what happened. It just came out one day and I couldn't help it. I hope you enjoy it. . . I doubt I'll make anymore, but I might. 


End file.
